1 T hen they told David, “See, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah. They are taking the grain from the grain-floors.”

¶ Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

2 S o David asked the Lord, “Should I go and fight these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go, fight the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go and smite the Philistines and save Keilah.

3 B ut David’s men said to him, “See, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

But David’s men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah, how much more than if we go to Keilah against the army of the Philistines?

4 T hen David asked the Lord again. The Lord answered him, “Get ready and go down to Keilah. For I will give the Philistines into your hand.”

Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

5 S o David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. He killed many of them and took away their cattle. And David saved the people of Keilah.

So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 W hen Abiathar the son of Ahimelech ran to David at Keilah, he came with a linen vest in his hand.

And it came to pass when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to David to Keilah that the ephod came in his hand.

7 W hen Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, he said, “God has given him to me. For he has shut himself in by going into a city with iron gates.”

¶ And it was told Saul how David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.

8 S aul called all the men for war, to go down to Keilah to trap David and his men.

And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 D avid knew that Saul was planning against him, so he said to Abiathar the religious leader, “Bring the linen vest here.”

But David understood that Saul devised evil against him, and he said to Abiathar, the priest, Bring here the ephod.

10 T hen David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard for sure that Saul is planning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.

Then David said, O LORD God of Israel, thy slave has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 W ill the men of Keilah give me to him? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy slave has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy slave. And the LORD said, He will come down.

12 T hen David said, “Will the men of Keilah give me and my men to Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will give you up.”

Then David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.

13 T hen David and his men, about 600, got up and left Keilah. They went where they could go. When Saul was told that David had run away from Keilah, he gave up going there. David Stays in the Hill Country

So David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went from one place to another. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he forbare to go forth.

14 D avid stayed in the safe places in the desert. He stayed in the hill country in the desert of Ziph. Saul looked for him every day, but God did not give David to him.

¶ And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

15 D avid saw that Saul had come out to try to kill him. David was in the desert of Ziph at Horesh.

And David, seeing that Saul had come out to seek his soul, stayed in the woods in the wilderness of Ziph.

16 S aul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and gave him strength in God.

Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.

17 H e said to him, “Do not be afraid, because my father Saul will not find you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be next to you. My father Saul knows this also.”

And he said unto him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul, my father, shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and even my father knows this.

18 S o the two of them made an agreement before the Lord. And David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

And the two made a covenant before the LORD, and David abode in the woods, and Jonathan returned to his house.

19 T hen the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding with us in the strong places at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon?

¶ Then those of Ziph came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the woods in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right hand side of the wilderness?

20 N ow come, O king, as you desire to come. And we will give David into the king’s hand.”

Now, therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.

21 S aul said, “May the Lord bring good to you. For you have had pity on me.

And Saul said, Blessed are ye of the LORD, for ye have compassion on me.

22 G o and make sure. See where he is, and who has seen him there. For I am told that he is very good at fooling people.

Go, I pray you, prepare yet and know and see his place where he places his foot and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he deals with great prudence.

23 L ook and learn about all his hiding places, and return to me with news that is sure. Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him among all the thousands of Judah.”

See, therefore, and take knowledge of all the hiding places where he hides himself and come again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land that I will search him out with all the thousands of Judah.

24 T hen they got up and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah, south of Jeshimon.

And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the plain on the right hand side of the wilderness.

25 S aul and his men went to look for him, and David was told about it. So he went down to the rock in the desert of Maon.

Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David, and he came down from there into a rock and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 S aul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. David was in a hurry to get away from Saul. For Saul and his men were closing in upon David and his men to take them.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away from the presence of Saul, for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

27 B ut a man came with news to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have come into the land by surprise to fight us.”

But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land.

28 S o Saul returned from going after David, and went against the Philistines. So they called that place the Rock of Getting Away.

Saul returned, therefore, from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. For this reason they called that place Selahammahlekoth.

29 D avid went from there and stayed in the strong places of Engedi.

And David went up from there and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.